Trini Outlaw

Saturday, November 17, 2007

COP drops dual-citizenship case

By SEAN DOUGLASSaturday, November 17 2007

ATTORNEY Anand Ramlogan who unsuccessfully competed for the Tabaquite seat in the November 5 General Election on a Congress of the People (COP) ticket, said the Congress has given up on taking legal action against UNC A St Augustine MP Vasant Bharath and Oropouche West MP Mickela Panday, over the issue of alleged dual-citizenship.

Mickela was born in Trinidad and has denied ever acquiring a UK passport, while Bharath holds dual citizenship through having been born in the UK.

Ramlogan had argued the Representation of the People Act’s ban on dual-citizenship should include not only acquired foreign-nationality, but also any TT national who was born abroad and later swears allegiance to that foreign country by applying for a passport.

However the COP has ditched its efforts to test the Act. Ramlogan called for Bharath to nevertheless renounce his UK citizenship. When contacted by Newsday, Bharath retorted, “There is no need for me to do so at this time. If the law changes, then I will do so.”

He reiterated that he was a Trinidadian first and foremost who had just happened to be born in the UK when his father had been doing post graduate studies. Bharath queried the residency/nationality status of several named top-members of the COP and PNM.

He said a top PNM politician was known to have been born outside of TT, while a top COP official should clarify his residency status regarding Canada.

Look at these chupid conts eh...For a big time lawyer Anand eh play he move like ah real caksy hole nah.The fockin ass froth up he mouth all over the place for the last election. The cont an dem take out ah setta fockin whole page ads to tell people doh vote for dem. Spend ah setta money like cont then to drop the whole matter.It just shows that COP was workin for the PNM. Dem mudders cont should really cry fockin shame.